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When a child actress is called a vile name by an long-running satire site, a beautiful young singer is labeled a stoner for wearing dreadlocks and a phenomenal 13-year old-female athlete is called a slut, they deserve more than a canned, robotic mea culpa.

It feels like Hollywood is finally starting to get what so many of us knew all along; audiences want to see diversity. Yet somehow, at this exciting moment of progress for the industry, Deadline Hollywood found it appropriate to publish what can only be described as a call for regression.

John's life has a lesson for us today. His struggle -- our struggle -- for a just society, for true equality and respect -- is not over. Far from it. All we have to look at is the widespread assault on the Voting Rights Act today. But like him, we cannot walk away; we cannot give up.

There's nothing to be happy about -- no feel-good takeaways -- when a middle school girl gets insulted by a man and has to speak up for him so he can continue a baseball career no one gives a fuck about. She is not supposed to be anyone's savior or protector. We need to be saving and protecting her.

Channeling the revolutionary essence of the Harlem Renaisance, Kendrick Lamar's To Pimp a Butterfly is a gripping, soul-driven melodrama that masterfully depicts the story of a courageous young man fighting through the painful process of liberating himself.

In our everyday fights to silence the racist chants of misguided college students and stifle overaggressive police who racially profile black children, we must reach the finish line. The next generation should never have to question whether their lives matter.

Despite past voting obstacles, there are compelling reasons for blacks in Ferguson to rush to barricades this time to vote. One is the prospect of a regime change. Another is they could move to dump the racket that city officials have run for years that criminalizes virtually the city entire black population. Another is there's no excuse.

The n-word has the blood of thousands of lynchings, beatings, and other horrific crimes melded between its letters, meshed in its very fibers. So, why do some white people want the right to use this abhorrent word again?

I was running errands with my youngest two children in tow when an acquaintance of ours spotted us and came over to say hello. She looked at my son, marveling over how much he had grown.
"Yes," I smiled, "He's a big boy!" She replied, "Such a cute little thug." My son is 2 years old.

While we applaud Starbucks for their effort to engage a topic that many seek to avoid, and while their efforts seem well-intentioned, we, as a national racial justice organization, with a name similar to the hashtag used in the campaign feel compelled to say: as a nation, we need more.

Funding for school policing programs has expanded and more school-based police are being armed with the same weapons cops carry on the streets. This expansion has not come with significant strings attached or proper guidelines.

With all due respect to Pastors Creflo and Taffi, instead of wasting community funds on frivolous expenses like a Gulfstream G650, maybe you should spend more time reaching out to the community in order to understand what they need, and how you can use your ministry to support them!

I have benefitted from black gay privilege throughout my career as a senior human resources, financial and diversity officer. I have accessed spaces and opportunities that "stereotypical" black men were not able to access.

Until the age of 16 swimming was something that took over my life; between two-a-day practices, traveling for competitions, and supporting teammates, my time was mostly spent in the pool or cheering right next to it.

Last week, the Presidents and Deans of America's 13 United Methodist Seminaries -- representing over 5,000 seminarians, including over 1,000 African-Americans -- wrote a thoughtful open letter outlining a vision from which all of us, whatever our faith tradition, can learn.

Comments: (133)

By: Cecil Jones on 5/14/2008 3:20AM

Neutral

How do these words uplift anybody? They are one step away from outing and forcing everybody to hate in Hollywood. The answer is simple...close your legs. If you must open your legs to close a deal was it worth your soul? This is another hating article by Ms. Pride.

By: LadyK on 5/14/2008 1:36PM

Neutral

I'm not surprise this is something that has been going on for a while. You just never know nowadays. Even certain guys I have dated gave me that suspicion. Its like all black men love to "hang out" with their "boys" whats up with that. To each its own, to each its own!!!

By: Tiffany on 5/14/2008 2:06PM

Neutral

I really hate the down low guys w wives, girlfriends, and who have created a family with these women. I would want to know if you have a trade (aka a man on the dl), so I can find someone that's not gay, plain and simple.

I live in New Orleans and there are a lot of BM that are DL or suspect around here. For me, any guy I meet is automatically gay until proven straight.

If I were them, I would just come out of the d@mn closet. Free Yourself! N.O. has a lot of gay rappers out here that make good music (good enough for a lot of these mainstream rappers to bite..won't say names) and a lot of people gay and straight like it. If anyone has a chance, look up New Orleans bounce music and you will hear.

Anyway, if you are gay or bi (which is still gay in my book), I'm not interested. They are so caught up with potentially ruining their lives, their are not thinking about the women and kids who's lives they are ruining by hiding it.

By: kim on 5/14/2008 3:32PM

High Ranked

this book, along with the 2 books Superhead wrote, and I hope she NEVER writes another book as long as she lives, need to be thrown right into the fire. What really gets me is the fact that they state they are not writing the book to name names, which ole girl did time & time again. IF they're are not looking for fame, then what it is? They are quick to point out how they come from broken homes, drugs, sex, etc........blah blah, yadda yadda!!!! Turn that negative into positive, create centers to help people from broken homes. I hope no ones spends their money on this crap. IF you really need to read this mess, go to Barnes & Nobles, have you a cup of tea or coffee, whatever your poison is, and read it for FREE. STOP SUPPORTING GARBAGE LIKE THIS !!!!

side bar: I don't think it's an article "hating" I just think she's putting out what's out there. Men and women need to beware of what's going on. This "DL" life style, is killing our communities along with everything else that's going on.

By: jaycee on 5/14/2008 5:25PM

Neutral

All I can say is I'm glad ol' boy decided not to name names because believe me, he would've had to get out of the country!! It's a reason these artists don't want people to know their "secret". But it's a shame that these people are married and sleeping around with other men!! That's not right. These women could've been with a men who are loyal and who really loves them.

By: karla on 5/15/2008 1:06AM

By: sm on 5/15/2008 4:54AM

Lowest Ranked

Now if these rappers started off gay, then then need to stop lying and just come out already. But some of these singers like to experiment and try new things and the DL thing is more of a trend now and this book is just doing nothing but giving these creepers a "Go ahead" do be discreet, and I'm not digging that. It's ironic that this DL thing is increasing. But if these stars were already gay/lesbian I'm talking about full on and just are putting on the sraight act fo rthe sake of their careers then I feel they need to go ahead and come out, I rather then be truthful then risk their partners lives. But to these celebs just falling in the DL craze that's overwhemingly filling the industry then that's not fair.

By: sm on 5/15/2008 4:57AM

Neutral

Shaking my head, I think this DL thing in the industry is nothing more than a fad, and this book is doing nothing but giving the, go ahead that it's okay for them to go and experiment and sleep with others of the same sex. Now if some of these celebs are already or been gay then they need to come on out and stop lying, because this double dipping for their own benefits are affecting black women and our community heavily. It's so hard now-a-days to tell what brotha is dipping, seems like the DL seen is growing.

By: "DimePiece" on 5/15/2008 10:03AM

Low Ranked

I also feel that it is WRONG for the DL brothers in Entertainment that are married to sleep around! They are just thinking about THEMSELVES and not CAREING about their LOVED ONES that are in their LIVES!

As I was reading this article; I was really trying to figure out, who the singer GUS was on BET!

I wouldn't by this crap either! Instead of this person Dean writing about; made-up characters, telling PART of what goes on behind the scenes, the brotha could have wrote about AIDS, PREVENTION, SUPPORT SYSTEMS, HIS SEXUALITY, (not OTHERS) why it's RIGHT TO COME OUT OF THE CLOSET, and BEING HONEST AND TRUTHFUL TO PEOPLE YOU LOVE! Maybe if he wrote that, other DL Brotha's would STOP HURTING PEOPLE THEY SUPPOSABLY LOVE and PEOPLE in GENERAL, WOULD BE AWARE and be KNOWLEDGEABLE!

By: Issa-Taseen on 6/17/2008 10:29AM

Neutral

We have to keep it thourough as a community black people. I personally think homosexuality is blah! for lack of a better term. However I also know that I will never ever do anything that I did not want to do. I am not that easily manipulated. So the way I am helps direct me on where to go & why. With that said DL brothers can f%$k themselves loony, it makes no difference to me We have to stop looking at our race like we are truly different people. My point is this, the hatred we have towards unique people is indicative of how we view ourselves as a whole. Black people have gay men lesbians, serial killers; rapists; child molestors and some elderly molestors (don't ask why), crooked cops, crooked politicians lazy workers and hard workers, smart inventors and those not playing with a full deck. We have faults and I must have never received my copy of what it is to be black or the Blackman's guidebook as well as the rest of my community. We have to be open and honest about ourselves and treat everyone within our lives with respect. You dont have to practice someone's way of life to show them respect. People are people whether they are gay or straight or anywhere in between. The sooner we acknowledge that the better we will be. Ask yourselves if you found out your father was a down low brother would you not be his child anymore or better yet what if your child wanted to live an alterantive lifestyle would you disown him? If you you answered yes to anyone of those questions then the problem is not the dl brothers it may be you.